Getting nostalgic over childhood

[soos_mite_ah]

Why do people in their late teens and early 20s get nostalgic about their childhoods specifically about the media prevalent during that time? This is a recurring pattern I see with a lot of people even if they had bad childhoods. Also does this pattern of nostalgia continue as you get older? 

[7thLetter]

@soos_mite_ah

Maybe they just have some sort of emotional attachment to how things used to be, they miss it. Being a child and experiencing life for the first time is just always so fun and exciting for most. The TV shows, the food, the video games, going outside, making friends, following the popular trends, etc. And sometimes adulthood just isn't as exciting so the nostalgia kicks in and they reminisce on the times when everything was easier for them.

Even though people had bad childhoods like you mentioned, I'm sure there's still a part of their childhood that they feel some sort of emotional attachment to like their favorite cartoon show, video game, etc. Because of course even if they had a terrible family life for example they still can have a favorite TV show, or toy that they hold onto. Maybe that TV show or toy was their escape from reality and it got them through the tough times as a form of an enjoyable distraction and so they miss it.

Personally I'm 25 and I've felt nostalgic many times in my early 20s. I missed my childhood, life was just so fun and easy back then. All we did was eat good junk food and consume content but I loved it. Elementary school was fun too with all the activities, field trips and all of that, it was great. So with these feelings of nostalgia I've tried playing old video games I used to play, watch old movies, etc. And I guess I can say it somewhat helps with satisfying these feelings.

Just yesterday actually I was in the grocery store shopping for groceries, and as I was walking down one of the aisles I started to notice all the kid snacks on the shelves. It had all the Jello pudding snack packs, so I grabbed one of the red & blue jello snack packs and put it in my cart. I just had to, haha. I wanted to experience the taste of Jello again. Haven't had it in ages, but as an adult I can say it isn't as exciting to eat anymore.

Do the patterns of nostalgia continue as we get older? Personally for me I'd say it just happens randomly. I would have a phase of re-living my childhood for a couple days or weeks then it goes away. I wouldn't be surprised if these feelings continue to pop up again as I get older but I'm an adult now and time to focus on the big boy stuff you know 

Btw, Leo has a good video called "Understanding Impermanence - Why Reality Is Always Changing." I think that video might be relevant to this topic if you haven't watched it yet.

[SamC]

7 hours ago, soos_mite_ah said:

Why do people in their late teens and early 20s get nostalgic about their childhoods specifically about the media prevalent during that time? This is a recurring pattern I see with a lot of people even if they had bad childhoods. Also does this pattern of nostalgia continue as you get older? 

Because of fomo, social anxiety and separation anxiety..

All of the 3 useally go together 

[Zigzag Idiot]

I’ve noticed this phenomena also. In myself years ago and then later with younger people.

Good question also. I’m not sure how I would answer it spontaneously. Might chime in later. I’ll be interested in the responses to this post.

[LastThursday]

I would say the nostalgia comes and goes. I watched a huge amount of TV as a kid and teenager. Luckily, they have channels nowadays full of all those old shows. It's fun to indulge sometimes and watch an episode or two, it's like seeing an old friend! Saying that, I wasn't at all nostalgic in my twenties and thirties I was too distracted by living. To be honest a lot of my teenagehood actually sucked, that I've never been nostalgic about.

[Loba]

13 hours ago, soos_mite_ah said:

Why do people in their late teens and early 20s get nostalgic about their childhoods specifically about the media prevalent during that time? This is a recurring pattern I see with a lot of people even if they had bad childhoods. Also does this pattern of nostalgia continue as you get older? 

I have noticed this as well and am a very nostalgic person.
I remember always being nostalgic though.  I remembered heaven in the sky and always wondered and ached to go back to it.
Maybe we are all just looking for home, deep down, that final resting spot?  You remember your childhood, what it felt like to be complete and you long for it - because you were closer to a sense of home then, while as an adult it is just, quite an awful experience, really, the human condition, living in general.  Just terrible.

Maybe someday in the future human life will be more worthwhile and then humans won't want the past?
"World peace" is looking pretty nice.

[Zigzag Idiot]

Thinking back it seems spans of time were experienced differently. Two years preteen to early twenties felt about equal to 6-8 years in my 30’s. I’ve felt nostalgia through just about all age ranges. A second grader nostalgic over the long bygone days of kindergarten. A 20 year old having nostalgia in regard to times of misbehaving as a 17 year old,,, etc. When older and witnessing it in younger folks it almost felt a little cringeworthy when related to this phenomena in myself. In the older seeing it in the younger it felt a bit silly. It helped me to observe it in others and associating it with my own experience gaining in self awareness though a bit uncomfortably.

[soos_mite_ah]

On 3/25/2021 at 0:18 AM, 7thLetter said:

Just yesterday actually I was in the grocery store shopping for groceries, and as I was walking down one of the aisles I started to notice all the kid snacks on the shelves. It had all the Jello pudding snack packs, so I grabbed one of the red & blue jello snack packs and put it in my cart. I just had to, haha. I wanted to experience the taste of Jello again. Haven't had it in ages, but as an adult I can say it isn't as exciting to eat anymore.

I feel that. One time I decided to buy this pack of cosmic brownies out of nostalgia (and because I was craving chocolate) and I was thinking of how when I was 7 or so my friends and I thought they were the shit. Like everyone would try to trade the rest of their snacks just to have an extra cosmic brownie. Then I tried to eat it again when I was 18 and I just didn't get the hype but it wasn't bad. Another time I tried to do the same with a twinkie and that was nasty. There are foods that I wonder how tf I ate when

I was a kid. I guess as I started eating healthier and branched out to different foods not only my taste buds changed but so did  the scope at which I compare foods to. That cosmic brownie doesn't taste like the best thing in the world when you have tried other brownies. 

I think that excitement in childhood comes from a lack of experience and not having anything to compare things to subconsciously or consciously. One thing I've been trying to do is see things with fresh eyes and let go of judgement/ comparison in order to be present and take in a moment for what it is. 

On 3/25/2021 at 5:40 AM, SamC said:

Because of fomo, social anxiety and separation anxiety..

All of the 3 useally go together 

I mean I've seen plenty of people who don't experience those things still get childhood nostalgia in their late teens- early 20s.

On 3/25/2021 at 6:41 AM, LastThursday said:

I would say the nostalgia comes and goes. I watched a huge amount of TV as a kid and teenager. Luckily, they have channels nowadays full of all those old shows. It's fun to indulge sometimes and watch an episode or two, it's like seeing an old friend! Saying that, I wasn't at all nostalgic in my twenties and thirties I was too distracted by living. To be honest a lot of my teenagehood actually sucked, that I've never been nostalgic about.

I think over the years technology has heightened this nostalgia since everything is more accessible. My dad and I found this channel where they have reruns of a bunch of shows from the 70s and 80s. My dad doesn't really get nostalgic over his childhood but he does get nostalgic over his 20s and 30s and watching those shows just brings those feelings more to the surface but in a better way. 

When it comes to technology and accessibility, I can't bring those things up without talking about the internet. Before you would have to go to your attic and search through old things or ask your parents about what things were like back then but now you can just search that stuff up. For me, if there is something in my childhood that I vaguely remember, I can just search it online. There are so many time I went on Instagram and saw a meme only for it to unlock a memory I forgot I had lmao. 

On 3/25/2021 at 5:41 PM, Cykaaaa said:

Loool this is definitely the case. I experience this a LOT.

Lately I've started rewatching Phineas and Ferb hahahaha

I seem to consider such "nostalgia waves" to be a kind of a backlash. I think there's a correlation. This is a powerful force that makes me completely distract myself, works almost everytime.

Sometimes I just miss being totally carefree, playing Club Penguin all day and immersing myself in that reality  that's an easier way to live, huh? Of course being conscious and present in this moment is superior, but there are times when I can't make an effort to do anything (like today) and I just wish everything was simpler.

I feel that. I started watching a couple episodes of the Fairly Odd Parents a couple days ago. I think it can be a little bit of a backlash. I think moving into adulthood is a very big transition in a person's life because you have been a child all your life and then suddenly, you're not and you never will be. It's a weird experience and for the first few years even if you have adult responsibilities that you are taking care of well, there is a part that makes you feel like you're a kid cosplaying as an adult. That transition can breed all types of problems (imposter syndrome, anxiety of what to do with the rest of your life, depression because you don't have the childlike sense of wonder etc.) and resurface a lot of issues from you're childhood because you're old enough to know what is right and wrong but young enough to remember a lot of what happened growing up. 

On 3/25/2021 at 5:41 PM, Cykaaaa said:

My friends don't experience this, however. I know because I asked 'em. Guess it's SOMEWHAT reassuring that I'm not the only one with this. Although the problem still stands, so... (the problem being distraction and deep emotional connection, of course)

The letting go technique could prove useful here.

 

No it's actually really common. I also have a theory about this and how it relates to pop culture. There is a saying that trends come back every 20 or so years. That could consist of anything from TV/ movie remakes to fashion. My theory is that the reason why trends come back about every 20 years is because a lot of young people get nostalgic over their early childhood (that's especially easy since most of us don't remember much and therefore have a very rosy picture of pop culture) and then they bring back trends. Those things become mainstream because youth culture has a huge influence over what's popular. Then there is a feed back loop where you look at the trends, you get nostalgic, you give into the trends, the trends become even more popular and more people get nostalgic. 

I don't think nostalgia is something you need to let go. Playing club penguin can be a nice break and escape lol. But I think it's still really important to be aware that you might be looking through rose toned glasses and that the past wasn't necessarily all that or else we risk making the same mistakes we did back then or we try to go back when it isn't viable anymore. I think when this is taken to the absolute extreme, you get a lot of conservative ideology and suddenly you're surrounded by a bunch of old people saying Make America Great Again because they want to go back to the 1980s. 

On 3/25/2021 at 9:55 PM, Zigzag Idiot said:

Thinking back it seems spans of time were experienced differently. Two years preteen to early twenties felt about equal to 6-8 years in my 30’s.

My dad and I were having a conversation about this. I think it has to do with how you perceive time as you get older. My dad is in his 60s and he was talking about how the last 10 years felt like it went by really quickly but I had a different experience. As someone in their early 20s, those same 10 years felt really long because it's literally 1/2 of my life whereas for my dad it's like 1/6. And plus you're growing, freshly experiencing so many things, and having your life circumstances change when you're young so you tend to grow and develop much more thus making that time feel longer. Like there is a huge difference in where you are in life compared to being 10 vs 20 than from 50 vs 60. 

On 3/25/2021 at 9:55 PM, Zigzag Idiot said:

When older and witnessing it in younger folks it almost felt a little cringeworthy when related to this phenomena in myself. In the older seeing it in the younger it felt a bit silly. It helped me to observe it in others and associating it with my own experience gaining in self awareness though a bit uncomfortably.

This reminded me of something that happened when I was in school. I had a friend who was 17 and he was cringing at what he was like at 14 and my teacher overheard this and was cringing lol. My teacher was like "that was like 3 years a go it wasn't that long ago." 

[LastThursday]

On 27/03/2021 at 3:11 AM, soos_mite_ah said:

I think over the years technology has heightened this nostalgia since everything is more accessible.

That's the understatement of the century. Before 2000 accessibility was in the dark ages, no scrub that, stone age.

Nostalgia is very selective however. So many times, especially with music, I'll stumble across a song I've forgotten completely. And then I'm nostalgic about it! Ridiculous. To be honest, you'd expect greater nostalgia in us old(er) folk, just by sheer quantity of stuff to be nostalgic about.  I must admit I find your OP about being nostalgic in your early twenties surprising - surely this must be the effect of technology?